Chapter 10: New Nakama! Colphor vs. Marines!

It was silent. Awkwardly silent. There were too much thoughts in the air, racing through the minds of everyone present. The first to move and take action was Cito, surprisingly. With a quick movement, Cito grabbed both of his pistols out of the small pockets in his trousers and pointed one at his mother and the other at his father, in a desperate attempt to bring this situation under his control. Both of his parents were quite surprised by this move and weren't even thinking of doing something against their son, even though it was evident that something weird and different was going between the three family-members in comparison to your average family.

"Nobody move! I won't hesitate to shoot!" Cito yelled.

The police officers that were present were hesitating whether to take action or not, but Sureyuru lifted his hand as a sign to not move. Cito's priority was to get to know why Tybo had infiltrated the police station, how stupid that reason may sound. So the first thing he then said was directed at Tybo.

"Why are you here?" Cito asked the pirate, while he shifted the aim of his second pistol from Sureyuru to Tybo.

Tybo thought about his answer for a total of 5 seconds before it left his mouth.

"I do not wish to tell you about that here, with this many people around."

Cito was thinking at a fast pace. Tybo wasn't going to tell him anything as long as there were people around. The obvious way to solve this problem is to move everyone somewhere else. But Cito was pretty certain that these people around him wouldn't be that cooperative, so the other obvious solution was to move themselves. Cito quickly put one of his flintlocks back in his right pocket, grabbed Tybo and made a run for it, dragging Tybo along with him. They broke through the line of police officers that had blocked them from the corridor leading to the lobby (and to freedom). It had all happened far too fast for the police officers to react.

"Stop, wait, wait!" Tybo yelled.

"We have no time to stop!" Cito replied to that.

"I still have two blades under my feet," Tybo said.

"Who cares if you ruin the floor!" Cito said, thinking that Tybo was worrying about that.

Tybo scolded at the stupid Cito in his mind.

"That's not what I mean! I can barely run like this if you drag me along like this. Let my hand go!"

"Oh, yeah," Cito said, "that's right."

He released his grip on Tybo's hand and Tybo was finally able to walk at his own pace. It is obvious that Tybo could be incredibly fast, even with the blades tied under his feet, or he couldn't call himself an advanced yontoryuu swordsmen. But that was for short distances, not for distances of Olympic size. That's why, while running, he untied the two blades from under his sandals, which could be called an amazing feat of itself. After finally being able to run on his own two feet, Tybo accelerated and caught up with Cito in no time. Cito seemed to be quite the runner, though. He was a quick one. As he realized that, the two of them ran into the lobby, surprising a few marines who had just arrived to assist. Before they could give any kind of reaction or say something in surprise, the two boys had left through the door. A few seconds later, everyone else that had chased after the two rascals, ran into the lobby and also through the front door. The marines that had previously stood there so peacefully were left alone once more, though they had been given some confusion in those past few seconds. One scratched the back of his head while he slowly walked over to the front door and looked through the dooropening (the door had improperly been left open by the police officers! How rude!)

"What... was that just now?" the marine asked.

"Were those kids the pirates?" the another one wondered.

"I think those police officers messed up their report and accidentally told us there were pirates. Those were just kids. Let's go back and report this failure."

Meanwhile, Cito and Tybo had been able to shake off their pursuers. They were now panting in a small, narrow alley.

"Can you tell me why you went into that police station now?" Cito asked again.

Tybo shook his head.

"No, but thanks for saving me. I need to go back now."

"Everyone's gone... you can tell me now, right?" Cito explained.

"You're still here," Tybo said, "I don't intend to tell anyone who doesn't have anything to do with it. I need to go back."

Tybo turned around to walk away.

"You're not going anywhere," Cito said, pointing one of his guns at Tybo. Tybo stopped and turned around.

"You can shoot me, but you won't hit me," Tybo claimed.

Cito was taken back by this.

"How... how do you know of my terrible aim!" he yelled in surprise.

This confused Tybo.

"What... what do you mean? I'm just saying that before that bullet hits me, I'd deflect it with my swords. 's All."

Cito's face blanked. His mouth was slightly twitching.

"Ah..."

Tybo teasingly smiled at Cito.

"I think you gave away some delicate information there," he said teasingly.

Cito blushed.

"Why are you wielding pistols when you can't do anything with them?"

Cito was searching for words to counter Tybo with, but wasn't able to find any.

"SHUT UP! You didn't hear that!" he eventually yelled like a little kid.

Tybo started laughing out loud because of Cito's desperate attempts to impress Tybo. Tybo slowly stopped laughing.

"I think the captain would love you," Tybo said, certain of the truth in his words, "y'know what, I'll give you a proposal you just can't refuse."

Tybo waited a few seconds before he started talking again. Cito was waiting impatiently for Tybo to continue.

"Join our crew," Tybo proposed. He stuck out his hand, "you're a good guy with a desire for adventure, just like the rest of us. What do you think?"

Cito was perplexed by what Tybo had proposed. He had always longed for adventure... to sail the seas with a crew, doing whatever they wanted. Not bound by any rules. His parents always wanted him to sail the seas. But not as a pirate. They wanted him to become a fine marine, like most of the people here eventually became. But Cito didn't want a life as a marine. You'd be bound by rules and when you died, no-one would remember you after a few years (aside from maybe some friends and family). Pirates became famous. Everyone remembers the names of famous pirates like Gold D. Roger, Monkey D. Luffy, Red Hair Shanks, Whitebeard and Blackbeard. He had left his parents because of this at a young age and now lived at a little shack at the other side of the island, together with some other kids, younger than him, that he commanded. They stole the food they needed and slept without beds and sheets, but he'd always been happy with that life. And now a real pirate said he could join their crew. What else could Cito answer then...

"YES!" he said loudly and enthusiastically, jumping up from happiness. He calmed down a little and asked:

"You mean it, right?" Cito asked for confirmation.

"Once you shake my hand, it's official," Tybo said with a big smile on his face. He never thought he'd love these kind of moments this much. Cito eagerly took Tybo's hand. Cito calmed down.

"So, uhm... what were you doing in the police station?" Tybo asked.

This time, Tybo answered.

"Mina, one of our nakama, has been captured by the marines, so we tried to free her."

Cito was speechless for a moment.

"But," he started, "what were you doing at the police station, then?"

Tybo didn't understand that question.

"I told you, didn't I? To free Mina!"

"But Cito was captured by marines, right? Wouldn't she be at the Marine Base on this island? The police station only handles local things," Cito explained.

Tybo couldn't answer. Cito was totally right.

"But then... why didn't those two marines say anything when I proposed that plan?" he wondered.

"Three, you mean."

"No, one of them was Falarda. He's also one of our crew and..."

He stopped talking and just realized that Falarda was still in that building. His shocked expression told Cito that something had gone terribly wrong.

"We need to go back immediately! Falarda is still in the police station. He doesn't stand a chance!" Tybo yelled, while he wanted to turn around. Cito wouldn't let him, however.

"Stop! Calm down!" he yelled, almost as if he was commanding someone of a lower rank. Tybo halted immediately and turned around. He looked impatient.

"What is it?" he asked, yelling.

"We need to go back to the ship," Cito said.

"What! Are you intending to run away! Maybe I..."

"No, I'm not running away! I have a plan!"

"What plan?" Tybo asked.

We go back in time a little and follow Petro and Colphor's movements. After exiting the house through the back door, the two kept running through the small streets of Bernardoca City. But wherever they went, the place was always filled with marines. Petro started to get fatigued and Colphor had also slowed somewhat down since the beginning of their "marathon" through the city.

"Petro," Colphor suddenly said to his partner, "we're gonna change plans."

"You make it sound like running away was a plan," Petro replied sarcastically, "but that aside, a plan would be great."

"We're gonna fight," Colphor said. Petro waited for more, but Colphor seemed to be done explaining his plan, stopped running and turned around to face the marines that were following the two pirates.

"Wait, that's the whole plan? Fight? Against this much? Have you become suicidal!" Petro said surprised.

The marines had stopped and were now all firmly holding their swords in front of them, ready to strike. Colphor calmly grabbed the cane behind this back and started leaning on it, while he answered hard enough for everyone, including the marines, to hear it:
"Suicide? Wouldn't that be going into a situation where you're one hundred percent sure to not get out alive of? I'm hundred percent sure I'll get out of this unscathed, so there's no need to worry."

"Unscathed? You're delusional! Beating this many marines is crazy?"

A marine added mockingly:
"Listen to your wise partner. Unscathed? I can't see that happening, kid. All you have is a cane and a partner. We have guns, swords and are with many. Give up already, kid."

Colphor looked the marine calmly in his eyes and said with a voice that was full of confidence:
"I never give up. Also, this cane will be more than enough to beat all of you."

The marines started laughing.

"You're entertaining," the same marine as before, said. He stepped forward and steadily walked towards Colphor, who did not make any movements. Colphor seemed to be waiting for the marine. The marine continued mocking Colphor.

"Let me teach you how to talk truthfully. What, you're not moving? Are you caught in fear so much that you can't move? How pitiful!"

The marine laughed. He covered the last few meters and was nearly standing in front of Colphor.

"You're pirate with a bounty, right? That means that I'll have to thank you for giving me your bounty!"

Colphor didn't move. He just stared into the eyes of the marine as that person lifted his sword over his head.

"Goodbye!"

The sword came down, entered Colphor's body at his right shoulder and went all the way until it exited Colphor's body at Colphor's left thigh. It was a clean cut that had divided Colphor in two pieces. But something was strange. There was no blood. No screaming. No falling backwards. Colphor's body also didn't seem to fall apart. It was rather surprising for the marine when the two pieces of Colphor's body, merged into a healthy body again.

"W-What is..."

"Now it's my turn," Colphor said, shocking the whole crowd. Colphor let out a battlecry as he punched the marine in his stomach (the marine's head was too high for Colphor to reach). There was one second where nothing happened. Then a hoarse sound coming out of the marine's mouth. The marine was then sent flying. And not just a few centimeters! He shot back as if he got shot of a cannon. He knocked over numerous marines that were in his way as he flew through the street. There was a loud "BOOM!" as the marine flew into a house's wall, cracking it so much, some parts of the wall were crumbling. Everyone was dumbstruck by this sudden, unexpected turn of events. Mouths had fallen open from complete bewilderment. Some marines were backing away from Colphor, struck with fear. Others were clenching onto their swords very tightly, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Did you just see that?" one marine asked, not really to anyone in particular.

"He just... sent Mejanos flying over a distance of thirty meters!" another one said, not believing in the words he just said himself.

"Don't falter, men!" someone suddenly said, "he may be strong, but we're with more! If we attack him from behind and front, he won't be able to stand that long!"

This gave some marines enough courage to forget their fears and verbally agree with those words just uttered.

"Attack!" the same marine yelled. At that command, half of the marines attacked the two pirates. Colphor's face showed a smug smile.

"Petro," he said, "you take the one behind me. I'll trust that no-one'll get the chance to attack me in my back."

Petro nodded.

"Yes. Nothing like that will happen," he said, as he realized that the fearsome powers he'd just seen were from a friend and not a foe. Those last few seconds before the marines reached the pirates had the air filled with battlecries and swords clanging against each other. Colphor lifted the arm with the cane in it and pointed it in front of him.

"Targeting Branches!" he said. In an instant, the cane grew a huge amount of branches that caught most of the marines immediately so they could get nowhere.

"I... can't breathe!" one of the marines caught in the branches said, "it's pushing the air out of my lungs!"

The ones left in front of him bravely continued to run at Colphor, already feeling that they couldn't find this fight. One jumped at Colphor and tried to cut him, but Colphor stepped aside and the man flew right past Colphor. The marine immediately crawled up again and tried to attack Colphor in his back, but that didn't go so smoothly. He jumped at Colphor again, but found Colphor's backwards kick in mid-air and was sent flying into a wall closeby. The other marines left experienced a same treatment. By the time the last one was sent flying, the marines caught in the branches had all passed out from a lack of oxygen and Colphor retracted all the branches until none was left. Just then, a familiar voice sounded:

"What a useless bunch!"

Through the dust that had developed itself during the fight, a man strode forward.

"It seems you're tougher than you look like," the man said.

The man came out of the dust flying through the air and was now visible to Colphor.

"Want to see if you can handle this marine?" Dorbes asked, "I'd like to give you a taste of my Golden Justice!"

Author's Note: Whoohoo! I've finally got this done! Sorry it took so long, but I haven't given up on this story at all! Expect me to write for this story a lot more for a long time!

Also, the setting of this story was not made up by me, but by the guy that made One Piece... Colphor, Cito, Tybo and the rest of the crew is completely thought up by me, and no-one other than me!

Please read, enjoy and maybe you could give me a review... that would make me happy! A simple "great", "awesome" or "pretty good" would suffice. If you don't like it, please let me know why and I might be able to change it a bit tto your tastes...